All articles tagged with #biglaw
Susman Godfrey has bumped associate salaries above the Milbank market rate across all year groups, complemented by its large year-end bonuses. The move reinforces the firm’s reputation for high compensation to attract top talent, even as it remains active in high-profile litigation including challenges to a Trump administration order.
Milbank kicked off a $235K associate salary scale in June 2026 and many firms have since matched it or raised salaries, with seasonal bonuses following the same timeline. The piece provides a live table showing which firms matched, the 2026/2025 scale at $235K (and $455K for older classes), minimum billable-hours requirements for bonuses (often 1,800–2,000 hours), and payout dates, with daily updates and a tips line for corrections.
Nicolo Nourafchan, a former mergers-and-acquisitions attorney who worked at Sidley Austin, Latham & Watkins, and Goodwin Procter, pleaded not guilty in a Boston federal court to leading a decade-long insider-trading scheme prosecutors say netted tens of millions by siphoning confidential information on roughly 30 deals and passing tips to traders and go-betweens. He’s joined by 14 other charged defendants, including his brother Lorenzo Nourafchan and co‑conspirator Robert Yadgarov; several others have pleaded guilty. Prosecutors say participants used disposable phones, encrypted messaging, face‑to‑face meetings, and coded language (e.g., before Amazon’s 2022 iRobot deal). The SEC has a parallel civil suit against 21 defendants. A conviction on the gravest counts carries up to 25 years in prison.
The DOJ charged 30 individuals, including former Biglaw attorneys, in a decade-long insider-trading operation that allegedly leveraged non-public information from major law firms, routed through a layered network of traders and sources, and used burner phones and coded language; the scheme referenced deals like iRobot and Amazon, with 19 arrests and two fugitives, while unnamed victim firms likely include some of the country’s largest M&A practices.
Federal prosecutors unveiled indictments alleging a wide-scale insider-trading scheme that used nonpublic mergers-and-acquisitions information stolen from major law firms to net tens of millions in profits, tying deals at companies like Actelion, Amazon, Anadarko, eBay, iRobot, Johnson & Johnson, Occidental Petroleum and Permira to traders.
Federal prosecutors unveiled indictments alleging a multimillion-dollar insider trading scheme that used nonpublic information about mergers and acquisitions handled by top law firms (including Goodwin Procter, Latham & Watkins, Sidley Austin, Wachtell Lipton, and Weil Gotshal) to trade on deals involving major companies such as Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, and eBay.
BTI Consulting Group's annual ranking highlights the most feared litigation firms by in-house counsel, with Quinn Emanuel, Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden, and Gibson Dunn topping the list as the 'Fearsome Foursome,' while other firms are recognized as 'Feared,' 'Awesome,' or 'Intimidating Opponents' in the legal industry.
The 2025 Am Law A-List ranks the top 10 elite law firms in America based on financial and cultural metrics such as revenue per lawyer, pro bono work, associate satisfaction, and diversity, with Munger Tolles & Olson leading the list.
A summer associate at Sidley in New York was dismissed after repeatedly biting colleagues, an unusual and disruptive behavior that drew attention to her conduct during her summer at the law firm.
A significant number of partners from Willkie Farr's West Coast offices are leaving for firms like Cooley that stand for the rule of law, following the firm's decision to support Trump's executive orders with pro bono payola, which has led to concerns about the firm's commitment to legal principles and the potential decimation of its San Francisco office.
Skadden Arps has announced its year-end bonuses, matching Milbank's scale and offering additional cash for its most senior associates. The firm, ranked No. 5 on the Am Law 100 with over $3.27 billion in revenue for 2023, is rewarding associates from the class of 2017 and senior with up to $125,000 plus a $25,000 special bonus. This move highlights the competitive nature of compensation in Biglaw, encouraging other firms to recognize the hard work of their experienced lawyers.
White & Case, ranked #9 on the Am Law 100 with nearly $3 billion in revenue, has announced it will match the market standard for year-end and special bonuses for associates. The bonuses will be distributed on February 14th. The announcement encourages associates to share bonus updates from their firms with Above the Law to stay informed on industry trends.
Ropes & Gray has announced it will match Milbank's bonus scale for its US-based partnership track associates who meet the 1900-hour threshold, with potential for additional bonuses for those exceeding expectations. The firm, ranked 8th on the Am Law 200 with nearly $3 billion in revenue, plans to distribute bonuses on December 24. The announcement encourages associates to report their firm's bonus matches to Above the Law for updates.
Fried Frank has announced it will match the Milbank scale for both annual and special bonuses, with additional premiums ranging from $3,000 to $34,500. The firm reported over $1 billion in gross revenue and high profits per equity partner in 2023. Bonuses will be distributed by December 31, and Above the Law encourages readers to share bonus memos for updates.
Paul Hastings has become the first major Biglaw firm to match the Milbank bonus scale following Cravath's announcement. The firm will offer year-end bonuses ranging from $20,000 for the Class of 2023 to $115,000 for the Class of 2017 and above, along with special bonuses. This move aligns with the Milbank scale, reflecting Paul Hastings' strong financial performance, including $1.8 billion in gross revenue and $5.4 million in profits per equity partner in 2023.